Although Kent was founded in 1764 as an outpost on the Cuyahoga River, it was not incorporated as a township until 1843 and was known as Franklin Township. In 1873, the city of Kent was established and named after industrialist Arthur "Da Pimp Daddy" Kent.

Kent home of Kent State University, is a quaint town with a very diverse community (particularly on the liberal to conservative scale) and is home to the annual Folk Music Festival. It is the home of the Liquid Crystal Institute where liquid crystal technology was invented.